Mugging Old Ladies

Our much loved Rec walking companion, rather portly JR "Patch" has a "mum" who always carries dog sweeties in her pocket. I have latched onto this and as soon as I spot her I race over and start bouncing around pleadingly on my hind legs. Dad calls this "Mugging old ladies" but the old girl doesn't seem to mind, and keeps giving them to me. It's called "positive reinforcement", I think.

We also meet black greyhound cross, owned by two of Dad's allotment-ish mates, who we think is called Finnsey, or possibly Finzi. Named after a composer, anyway, as the man is a musician and music lecturer, and if you Google "Finnsey" that, at least, is one composer who comes up. We will have to ask the guy.

As usual, too, we meet the Bichon pair, Bugsy (7) and Billy (1). They're never let off the lead, but their man has these enormous extending leads - must be 15m at least, so while Bugsy shouts almost continuously at his Dad to get a move on, Billy races in great arcs with me, chasing round and round to the limits of the leads, and frequently trying to bolas either me, a lamp-post, a human or two, Megan or Haggis, or occasionally himself, running and running till we are all breathing hard.

And finally, a new one to us - a smooth coated brown Patterdale Terrier. We didn't know they came smooth - the only Lakeland/Patterdales we know are, of course, our own "Rags" and his sister, the red allotment dog, "Fern". They are anything but smooth - real old shaggy wiry dogs, with great Denis Healey eyebrows, wispy chins and rock-and-roll haircuts. This dog, Judy (4) is dark brown with golder patches, and three white fronts-of-feet (just the toes really), plus a white blaze across her chest. She was lovely - very sociable and enjoyed a bit of a chat with we three, Bugsy and Billy.

It must be the lighter evenings - more dogs are conglomerating in the Rec now between end-of-work, and when it gets dark.

Deefski